To provide greater protection for the public should officers act outside of their powers

To increase public confidence and trust in the police and in the complaints system as a whole

To provide greater protection for Police Officers from complaints which are an abuse of process

To increase accessibility, openness and independence of the complaints process

To support the timely resolution of complaints and improve communication with complainants

If the public is to have trust and confidence in the police, the complaints system must be accessible and seen to be transparent, and subject to independent scrutiny. Furthermore, any police officer who is subject to a serious complaint needs to be dealt with by a process that is fair and unbiased for the protection of his or her reputation.

The Commission do not carry out separate independent investigations of complaints made against the Police. The investigation of complaints against the Police is most appropriately done by the Police, where necessary using an outside Force. Further it is the role of the Chief Officer of Police to determine appropriate disciplinary action. Complaints should be made to the Chief Officer of Police and the Commission will be notified in accordance with the Law.

The role of the Police Complaints Commission is to supervise the most serious complaints and those where it is in the public interest to do so. The Commission has access to all complaints made to the Police and so provide the independent oversight which is essential to ensure public confidence.